The Hunger (1983)

 

A love triangle develops between a beautiful yet dangerous vampire (Catherine Deneuve), her cellist companion (David Bowie), and a gerontologist (Susan Sarandon).

From memory: Extremely stylish vampire tale is more focused on visuals and (erotic) atmosphere than on a convincing story; in the end it all appear s pretentious and quite silly.

Halliwell (no star): Absurd attempt to update Dracula with lashings of sex, rock music and flashy photography. An ordeal."

Maltin*1/2: "Kinky trash masquerading as a horror film...Bowie's quite good as Deneuve's companion...with an aging scene that's the film's highlight. As for the rest, beware, unless seeing Deneuve and Sarandon in bed together is your idea of a good time." 

 

Repulsion (1965)

 

On the set: Catherine Deneuve

Les demoiselles de Rochefort (1967)

On the set: Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac and, Gene Kelly

Catherine Deneuve

La vérité (2019)

 

A stormy reunion between scriptwriter Lumir with her famous mother and actress, Fabienne, against the backdrop of Fabienne's autobiographic book and her latest role in a Sci-Fi picture as a daughter of a mother who never grows old. 

Undemanding family drama is amusing for having Ethan Hawke play the helpless bystander to a feud between the titans Deneuve and Binoche.

 

Julie Christie, Ursula Andress and Catherine Deneuve

Julie Christie, Ursula Andress and Catherine Deneuve attend a Royal Film Performance of ‘Born Free’ at the Odeon, Leicester Square, 14th March 1966

Catherine Deneuve

Catherine Deneuve

(ph: Jeanloup Sieff)

8 Femmes (2002)

A man is murdered, and the eight women in his household each seem to be more eager than the others to know the truth.

A tongue-in cheek homage to Agatha Christie-styled murder mysteries, staged as a closed-room musical and with an otherwise great cast playing their roles in exaggerated hysterics, is not really something one can feel nostalgic for.

On rewatching: Watchable, but could have been so much better...

Halliwell**: "Highly artificial, witty, enjoyable pastiche of a country house murder mystery, with bravura performances from its stellar cast, representing four generations of French acting, who burst into song at unexpected moments."

Maltin**1/2: "Wonderful opportunity to watch some of France's most formidable females in an odd whodunit-melodrama-musical...Fun to a degree, especially when the actresses sing and dance, but awfully forced."

Catherine Deneuve

Le dernier métro (1980)

In occupied Paris, an actress married to a Jewish theater owner must keep him hidden from the Nazis while doing both of their jobs.

From memory: Despite the director's usual excellence in style and casting, this effort seems derivative and somewhat old-fashioned, and the ending is quite disappointing.

Halliwell****: "Tightly enclosed symbolic melodrama of oppression and release that concentrates on individual lives caught up in a moment of mass madness and seeking refuge in their dedication to their art."

Maltin**1/2: "A film with charm and style but no point - a problem underscored by its abrupt quizzical finale. Watching the elegant Deneuve provides most of this film's appeal."

Repulsion (1965)

Les demoiselles de Rochefort (1967)

Françoise Dorléac & Catherine Deneuve

Un Flic (1972)

After a shaky first heist, a group of thieves plan an even more elaborate- and more risky- second heist.

A crime drama with style, good performances and some good direction, but slow in pace and not quite suspenseful.

Halliwell (no star): "Glum investigation of betrayal in which atmosphere is all, but not enough to sustain interest."

Maltin**1/2: "Pedestrian melodrama...Delon and Crenna are muscular, Deneuve and the scenery gorgeous."

La sirène du Mississipi (1969)

A wealthy plantation owner is captivated by a mysterious woman with a shady past.

Offbeat Noir thriller treated more like a l'amour fou romance with some typical Truffaut touches, occasionally a bit heavy-handed and with some risible dialogue.

On rewatching: Lively drama omits the novel's noir elements and turns the story into an almost surreal romance;the director and his two stars somehow make it work.

Halliwell*: "Oddly obsessive romantic murder mystery; the hero continues to love the girl who tries to kill him, and at the end they are still together. Interesting when it is not uncomfortable."

 Maltin***: "One of the director's few flops, but any film with Belmondo-Deneuve-Truffaut combo is of interest...Always buy brand names."

Le Choix des armes (1981)

A gangster retires to the countryside after living a full life of traditional crime, but after settling into his new residence with his wife, his home is invaded by an unruly punk with some newideas about the way crime should work.

An otherwise unoriginal crime story is slowly drawn out and achieves some depth by intelligent direction and excellent performances.

Halliwell*: "Interesting but too-leisurely account of people unable to escape their past."

Maltin***: "Well-directed drama...Good performances by excellent cast, especially Depardieu."

Les demoiselles de Rochefort (1967)

Le tout nouveau testament (2015)

God lives in human form as a cynical writer with his young opinionated daughter in present-day Brussels, Belgium, but she concludes that her dad is doing a terrible job and decides to rewrite the world, which leaves God angry, powerless and adamant to get his power back.

Idiosyncratic and superficially blasphemous satire presents a fantastical parable which works on several levels and manages to entertain and endear at the same time.

Tristana (1970)